Margaret River

What you're actually getting into

Three hours south of Perth and you have wine, ancient caves, ocean surf good enough to host international competitions, forests of 70-metre trees, and one of the best farmers markets in Australia. All within a 100-kilometre stretch of coast and hinterland. The Margaret River region is the most popular weekend destination for Perth residents and it earns that status every time. The question is never whether to go but how long to stay. Four or five days is the realistic minimum if you want to move through it without rushing.

The Margaret River township sits at the centre of the region. A small, increasingly prosperous town that has built an identity well beyond the agricultural service town it once was. Good coffee, good bookshops, a genuine farmers market on Saturday mornings, and enough restaurants that eating somewhere different every night for a week is easily done.

The wine brought people here first, the caves keep them longer, and the forests, tall, light-filtered, ancient, are the part that stays with them afterwards. If you're driving south from Fremantle, the coastal route through Busselton and Dunsborough is the better choice over the inland highway. From Margaret River, extending the trip to Albany via Walpole and the Valley of the Giants makes for one of the best road trips in WA. Our itineraries page has it staged out properly.

The wine region

Margaret River makes about 3% of Australia's wine by volume and around 20% of its premium wine. That gap is the whole story. The Mediterranean climate. Warm summers, mild winters, reliable autumn rain. Combined with red loam soils over limestone produces Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay that compete seriously with the best in the world. The Cabernets in particular have a structure that makes them age well, and prices at the cellar door are a fraction of what comparable bottles cost in Europe.

More than 200 wineries and cellar doors operate across the region. The big names, Leeuwin Estate, Cullen, Vasse Felix, Cape Mentelle, Moss Wood, are all worth visiting. But some of the most interesting wine now comes from smaller producers working with Chenin Blanc, Grenache, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. A good approach for four days: visit two or three established names and spend one afternoon following recommendations from the tourist centre in the township, where they track which small producers are worth the detour each season.

Vineyard rows at harvest time in the Margaret River region

The caves

The limestone beneath Margaret River contains hundreds of caves, four of which are open to the public. Jewel Cave near Augusta is the largest and most decorated. Chambers hung with stalactites, stalagmites, shawls and helictites formed over 30,000 years. The guided tour takes about 50 minutes and the Pipe Organ formation, which produces a resonant tone when air moves through it, is worth seeing for how strange it is.

Lake Cave has a quieter atmosphere. A single large chamber where formations reflect in a still underground lake. The Suspended Table, a delicate crystal formation hanging above the water, is one of the more extraordinary things you will see underground in Australia. Mammoth Cave is self-guided and contains fossils of extinct megafauna including a wombat-like creature the size of a small rhinoceros. Ngilgi Cave near Yallingup is the most accessible of the four. Book ahead in school holidays. Tours fill up.

The surf coast

The coastline from Yallingup to Augusta handles big Southern Ocean swells that produce some of the best surfing in Australia. The Margaret River Pro brings the world's top surfers each April, with heats running over multiple days at Surfers Point. For spectators, it's a free event. Shuttle buses run from the township, and watching professionals handle the break is something else entirely.

For those who don't surf, the beaches are worth visiting on their own terms. Smiths Beach is the most family-friendly, with a sheltered section that's calm enough for kids and a consistent enough wave for intermediate surfers. Injidup Natural Spa, rock pools that fill with ocean water at high tide, is one of the stranger swimming spots in WA. Bunker Bay and Meelup at the northern end are calm and beautiful. The coastal cliff walks between these beaches are worth doing for the views alone.

The forests

Inland from the wine region, the karri and jarrah forests of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge are completely different from coastal WA. Karri (Eucalyptus diversicolor) is one of the tallest flowering plants on Earth, specimens over 70 metres tall are not unusual, and old-growth stands in the Boranup Forest south of the township have a quality that makes most people go quiet. The Boranup Forest Drive is 14 kilometres of unsealed road through some of the best karri country accessible by ordinary vehicle. Walk into the trees for ten minutes and the canopy closes overhead.

For something even more impressive, the Valley of the Giants near Walpole is 90 minutes east and worth combining with an overnight in Walpole or extending the trip all the way to Albany.

Food and the Saturday market

The Margaret River Farmers Market runs every Saturday morning from 8am to noon at Rotary Park in the township. It is one of the best regional markets in Australia. Local olive oil, cheeses from Cambray and Naturaliste Cheese Company, smoked salmon, handmade pasta, honey, fresh vegetables, cut flowers. This is where the winemakers do their Saturday shopping. Come at opening and allow an hour at minimum.

The Providore on Harmans South Road is a deli worth a separate visit. Artisan products from across the region, including things that are hard to find anywhere else. Vasse Felix and Leeuwin Estate both operate excellent winery restaurants for lunch. For dinner in the township, the options have improved considerably in recent years and there are now several restaurants with serious ambitions making the most of the local produce.

Getting there and around

Margaret River is about 270 kilometres south of Perth. A comfortable three-hour drive on the South Western Highway or slightly longer on the coastal route via Bunbury. A car is essential once you're in the region. The cellar doors, caves and beaches are spread across 100 kilometres with no meaningful public transport. The Transwa bus runs from Perth to Augusta via the township but the schedule limits independent movement significantly.

From Fremantle, the drive is marginally shorter and the coastal route past Rockingham and Mandurah is pleasant. See our campervan guide for the full South West road trip with day-by-day staging.

Practical notes

• Transport: A car is essential. Hire in Perth or Fremantle and drive down.
• Cellar doors: Most open 10am-5pm daily. Some require bookings in summer. Check ahead.
• Caves: Book ahead in school holidays. Each cave needs a separate ticket.
• Surfing: Surfers Point and Three Bears are for experienced surfers only. Beginners should go to Smiths Beach.
• Accommodation: See our Margaret River accommodation guide from budget to Cape Lodge.

Continue Your Journey

Where to go next from Margaret River

Port City

Fremantle

2 hours north. Ferry to Rottnest

South Coast

Albany

3.5 hours east through karri forests

Capital City

Perth

3 hours north on the South Western Hwy

Southern Coast

Esperance

7 hours east. Lucky Bay and pink lake

Frequently Asked Questions